Scientists Find Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella Superbug

Wednesday was a big day for salmonella. On the heels of U.S. state officials announcing that the strain responsible for the latest multi-state outbreak was caused by an antibiotic-resistant salmonella called S. Heidelberg, a study was published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases that reported a "superbug" strain of salmonella may spread globally.

The strain, known as S. Kentucky, has been found in nearly 500 cases in France, Denmark, England, and Wales from 2002 to 2008, according to MSNBC. The case numbers have risen exponentially during that six-year period. It has proven resistant to the antibiotic Ciprfloxacin, or Cipro, which is often used for severe salmonella infections. Researchers believe that the strain has also reached Canada and North America. Not that we need another super strain. We have our own, S. Heidelberg, which is responsible for at least 77 people falling ill and one death. It is currently believe that ground turkey is to blame. (Get more information about today's ground turkey recall here.)

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Researchers say that these superbugs became resistant to antibiotics due to the use of antibiotics in chicken and turkey farming, according to The Independent. Because it was exposed to these drugs early on, the superbug can overcome them later when infected humans attempt to use the antibiotics to combat the infection. Researchers say that the S. Kentucky strain has primarily spread through Europe due to individuals traveling to or eating food imported from Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Morocco (the countries in which the strain is thought to have originated), but other superbugs are popping up in countries such as England and the U.S. due to farming practices.

Researchers have told reporters that they hope that this report will "stir awareness among national and international health, food, and agricultural authorities so that they take the necessary measures to control and stop the dissemination of this strain before it spreads globally." They also recommend that everyone follow basic food safety rules: wash your hands thoroughly and often, cook food thoroughly (for poultry that means an internal temperature of 165 degrees), chill and store foods properly (poultry should be stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit), and avoid cross-contamination (don't handle raw chicken and then immediately handle an apple or use the same, uncleaned cutting board for raw poultry and vegetables, for example).